Fire Monitored In Surken Square, Cianjur TNGGP Tightens Climbing Rules By Prohibiting Unggun Fire

Suryakancana Square, Mount Gede Pangrango, Cianjur, West Java, can be seen from the CCTV installed by the Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park Center, caught fire on Monday (18/9/2023). (ANTARA/HO-TNGGP Cianjur)

CIANJUR - Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park Center (TNGGP) Cianjur, West Java, has tightened climbing rules to anticipate land fires in national parks. This includes prohibiting lighting salaries on the hiking trail to the summit. Head of the Cianjur TNGGP Center, Sapto Aji Prabowo, said that currently his party had sent officers to the Surayakancancana Square, which from the CCTV installed, was seen burning fires in the grass area adjacent to Taman Edelweis. "It can be seen from the CCTV installed with a puff of smoke that occurred in the Surayakancancana Square desert which is better known by climbers as Surken. Currently, officers have gone to the location to extinguish the fire and find out for sure the cause of the fire," he said when contacted in Cianjur, Antara, Monday, September 18. He explained that Surken is usually used as a place to build tents and climbers' resting places before reaching the top of Mount Gede. However, when it was seen that there was a fire, there was a quiet location from the climber and no one had yet set up a tent. His party did not know for sure the cause of the burning of the savanna field in Surken, but it is suspected that due to the hot weather during the day, sparks that quickly burned grass in Surken which mostly dried up. "We are still looking into whether the cause of the fire in Surken is from the weather or there are other factors, but it is certain that climbers have not made a climb yet," he said. However, he said, to ensure the incident and immediately extinguish the fire, his party sent officers assisted by a joint team and volunteers to the location because it was feared that it could spread to Taman Edelweis or eternal flowers 150 meters from the land that was reported. To anticipate land fires due to negligence, his party tightened the climbing rules by not making counts from the hiking trail to the top of the mountain, not carrying or lighting fireworks or other activities that could cause fires.

"The regulations have been implemented long ago, but we urge all climbers to obey the advice, including helping officers when they see land that is reportedly along the hiking trail to the top," he said.